Combination ventilator and ladder for tanks or the like



Jam, 28, 1958 c. LOVELESS 2,321,125

COMBINATION VENTILATOR AND LADDER FOR TANKS OR THE LIKE Filed June a,1955' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Cam ver e Lava/e55 O 434 BY r 7''" Jan.28, 1958 c. LOVELESS- 2,821,125

COMBINATION VENTILATOR AND LADDER FOR TANKS OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed June 6, 1955 INVENTOR. flow ere Lam/ass W T OENE United StatesPatent COMBINATION VENTILATOR AND LADDER FOR TANKS OR THE LIKE CompereLoveless, Prairie Village, Kans., assignor to Smith & Loveless, Inc.,Merriam, Kans., a corporation of Kansas Application June 6, 1955, SerialNo. 513,368

4 Claims. (Cl. 98-33) This invention rel-ates to equipment for improvingthe working conditions and safety of workmen who are required to entertanks and the like, particularly those buried beneath the surface of theground where it is difiicult to provide proper ventilation andevacuation of noxious gases.

It is the most important object of the present invention to providestructure for supplying fresh, dry air to enclosures having no means ofnormal ventilation and wherein escaping fluids oftentimes presentdisagreeable, if not dangerous, conditions.

Underground chambers accessible only by way of a manhole or access tube,and especially those employed for the pumping of sewage, are mostdifficult to ventilate in absence of employment of expensive,complicated and space-consuming equipment. It is necessary not only tobring in clean, dry air, but to remove all disagreeable odors and gasesin order to provide satisfactory working conditions when it becomesnecessary to maintain service or otherwise attend to the variousmachinery contained within the chamber.

In accordance with the present invention, therefore, there is providedventilating means that forms a part of a ladder which may be used in thenormal way for entering and leaving the underground chamber, andreference may be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view of a tank showing a combinationventilator and ladder made pursuant to the present invention, partsbeing broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the cover of the access tubebroken away and in section to reveal details of construction.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line III-III ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV ofFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed cross-sectional view takenon line VV of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, detailed, cross-sectional view taken on lineVIVI of Fig. 1.

The ventilating system contemplated by the instant invention may be usedwith any underground chamber but has been developed primarily for use asa part of a sewage ejector station wherein an ejector 10, containedwithin an underground tank 12, received the sewage via inlet 14 anddischarged the same through outlet 16. Inasmuch as the tank 12 isnormally buried beneath the surface of the ground there is provided anelongated, upright access tube 18 extending upwardly from the tank 12and in accordance with the present invention, a ladder broadlydesignated by the numeral 20, is provided and suitably mounted withinthe tank 12 and the tube 18.

Ladder 20 includes a pair of spaced, upright, hollow side rails 22 and24 interconnected by a plurality of rungs 26. A combination electricallypowered suction blower and dehumidifier 28, secured to the tank 12 fromwithin at the lowermost end of the ladder 20, communicates with therails 22 and 24 and is provided with a step 30. The unit 28 has an airinlet 32 and is divided into two compartments, 33 and 35 respectively,the latter being a dehumidifying chamber and open at the bottom thereoffor drainage of condensate into a sump 34 in the tank 12 as seen in Fig.l. The sump 34 is drained by use of a pump 36.

A vent cap 38 opening downwardly and mounted on the outer face of thetube 18 at the uppermost end thereof, is provided for each rail 22-24respectively and communicates therewith through the tube 18 by means oftubular extensions 40 respectively extending from each of rails 22 and24 to the corresponding cap 38. The vent caps 38 serve to mount a cover42 for the uppermost end of the tube 18 through the medium of pivotallyinterconnected hinge elements 44 and 45 oppositely attached to cover 42and the caps 38.

The blower 29 in compartment 33 of unit 28 is controlled by a switch 46mounted on one of the extensions 40. A swingable control arm 48 isactuated by an extension 50 on the lower face of the swingably mountedcover 42.

In operation, when the cover 42 is swung to the position preparatory toentrance into the tank 12, the switch 46 closes to energize the blower29 in unit 28, thereby drawing air from within the tank 12 via the inlet32 and forcing the same out through rail 24 and its associated vent cap38.

The incoming air is normally moisture laden and since the same wouldcondense upon contact with the walls of tank 12, such moisture isremoved by the dehumidifier 31 in compartment 35 forming a part of theunit 28. This condensate drops into the sump 34 and is ultimatelydrained from the tank 12 through use of the pump 36.

Air is drawn into tank 12 through rail 22, dehumidifier in compartment35 and openings 37 formed in the wall of unit 28. When cover 42 isclosed the interior of tank 12 and tube 18 is ventilated by blower 28which is actuated by either a manual switch or an interlock on the motoror starter or a time switch not here shown and that may be disposedwithin tank 12. When the blower in unit 28 is so actuated, air will bedrawn into tank 12 through rail 22 and the dehumidifier in unit 28.

Through use of the ladder 20, the operator may enter the tank 12, and byvirtue of the automatic nature of the equipment, he is always assured ofan evacuation of any fumes or disagreeable odors and gases through theblower and rail 24. After leaving the tank 12 by climbing the ladder 20,the operator closes the cover 42 and the unit 28 is automaticallydeenergized so far as switch 46 is concerned, but may be actuatedwithout regard to said switch as above set forth.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sewage installation, a tank provided with an access opening andadapted to be at least partially within the ground with said openinglocated above ground level; an upright ladder Within the tank andextending from adjacent said access opening downwardly to adjacent thelowermost portion of the tank, said ladder being provided with at leastone elongated, tubular side rail; a rigid, elongated, tubular extension,one end of the extension passing through the side wall of the tankadjacent said opening therein and the opposite end of the extensionbeing connected to and communicating with said one side rail adjacentthe uppermost end thereof, said extension serving both as an air currentcoupling and a means of mechanical support for said one side rail; andblower means mounted within the tank, operably coupled with said oneside rail adjacent the lowermost end thereof Patented Jan. 28, 1958 yand communicating with the interior of said tank for directingartificial currents of. air through said one side rail to thereby removecontaminated air from the tank.

2. In a sewage installation, a tank provided with an access opening andadapted to be at least partially with in the ground with. said openinglocated above ground level; an upright ladder within the tank andextending from adjacent said access opening downwardly to adjacent thelowermost portion of the tank, said ladder being'provided with a pair ofspaced, elongated, tubular side rails; a rigid, elongated tubularextension for each side rail respectively, one end of each of saidextensions passing through the side wall of the tank adjacent saidopening therein and the opposite ends of each of the extensions beingconnected to and communicating with corresponding, side rails adjacentthe uppermost ends thereof,.said extensions serving both as air currentcouplings and a means of mechanical support for respective side rails; adehumidifier mounted within the tank, operably coupled with one of theside rails adjacent the lowermost end thereof and communicating with theinterior of the tank; an exhaust blower mounted within the tank,operably coupled with the other of said side rails adjacent thelowermost end thereof and communicating with the interior of the tank;and a cover movably mounted over said opening whereby upon operation ofsaid blower and dehumidifier, contaminated air within the tank isremoved therefrom through said other rail and water vapor is removedfrom the air drawn in through said one rail by said dehumidifier.

3. In a sewage installation, a tank provided with an access opening andadapted to he at least partially within the ground with said openinglocated above ground level; an upright ladder within the tank andextending from adjacent said access opening downwardly to adja cent thelowermost portion of the tank, said ladder being provided with a pair ofspaced, elongated, tubular side rails; a rigid, elongated, tubularextension for each side rail respectively, one end of each of saidextensions passing through the side wall of the tank adjacent saidopening therein and the opposite ends of each of the extensions beingconnected to and communicating with corresponding side rails adjacentthe uppermost ends thereof, said extensions serving both as air currentcouplings and a means of mechanical support for respective side rails;an open bottom vent cap for each extension respectively, each of saidcaps being mounted on the outer portion of said side wall of the tank inoverlying, protecting relationship to the outer open end of acorresponding extension; 21 dehumidifier mounted within the tank,operably coupled with one of the side rails adjacent the lowermost endthereof and communicating with the interior of the tank; an exhaustblower mounted within the tank, operably coupled with the other of saidside rails adjacent the lowermost end thereof and communicating with theinterior of the tank; and a cover movably mounted over said openingwhereby upon operation of said blower and dehumidifier, contaminated airwithin the tank is removed therefrom through said other rail and watervapor is removed from the air drawn in through said one rail by saiddehumidifier.

4. An installation as set forth in claim 1 wherein said blower means iselectrically operable, said cover is hingedly mounted on the tank andthere is provided switch means on the tank electrically coupled withsaid blower means, said switch having an actuatable element disposed foractuation upon opening of the cover to thereby control operation of theblower upon opening and closing of the cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,448,307 Loop Mar. 13, 1923 2,014,840 Geiger et al Sept. 17, 19352,097,751 Baltich Nov. 2, 1937 2,220,650 Herzog Nov. 5, 1940 2,250,619Austin July 29, 1941 2,347,141 Werdehofi Apr. 18, 1944

